The Otago Chess Club Championship for 2015 was decided this month with the completion of the second and final leg. Defending champion John Sutherland's victory over the writer in the final round wasn't enough to stop the latter taking the overall (Senior) championship with an aggregate total of 9/10 over the two legs. Sutherland finished second on 7½, while third went to Leighton Nicholls on 6 points. Brent Southgate just secured the Intermediate Championship on an aggregate score of 7⅛ ahead of David Reid on 7 points. new member Hildon Nisa's aggregate total of 9⅜ earned him the Junior Championship trophy.
Today's game is the eighth win that assured the Senior Championship title. Hamish Gold is playing with the black pieces against the writer.
1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 Nf6 3.e3!? Ne4!?
After only three moves the game has left opening theory from the Dutch 2.Bg5, where White normally captures the knight. The position resembles a Trompowsky Attack with the extra moves e2-e3 and f7-f5. The players being on their own from this point leads to some inaccuracies. 4.Bf4 c5 5.d5?!
As the d-pawn is already supported, challenging the advanced knight by 5.Nd2 was better. 5...Qa5+?!
Similarly 5... Qb6! attacking b2 takes advantage of the pawn on e3 blocking the bishop's return to c1 compared to the analogous position in the Trompowsky. 6.c3 g6 7.Be5 Rg8 8.f3 d6 9.fxe4 dxe5 10.Nd2 fxe4 11.Nxe4 Bh6?!
The position is very sharp and it was important to dislodge the central knight immediately 11... Bf5! 12.Ng3 (12.Qb3?! Bxe4! 13.Qxb7 Qb6 14.Qxa8 Qxb2 15.Rd1 Bh6! 16.Rd2 Qc1+ 17.Ke2 Kf7 and Black's attack is worth the exchange sacrifice) 12.... Qb6 with a defensible game. 12.Qd2?!
Missing 12.d6! opening the d-file with a strong attack on the Black king. E.g. 12... Qb6 (12... Nd7 13.Bc4 is worse) 13.Qd5 Rg7 14.dxe7 Nd7 15.Nd6+ Kxe7 16.Rd1 and Black must exchange queens 16... Qc6 17.Qxc6 bxc6 with an inferior ending. 12...Bf5 13.Bd3?! Nd7?!
Both sides missed the idea 13... c4! 14.Bc2 Nd7 when Black's pieces suddenly become very active. 14.Ng3 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 O-O-O 16.Nf3 Nf6 17.e4 Bf4?!
Expending a tempo to defend the unimportant e5 pawn when 17... e6! 18.d6 (18.O-O exd5 19.Nxe5 Rgf8 also favours Black) 18... Ng4 is effectively a move up on the game. 18.Ne2 e6 19.Nxf4 exf4 20.d6 Ng4 21.e5 Rgf8
Allowing White to castle. After 21... Ne3 22.g3 Qa4! 23.Kf2 (or 23.b3 Qc6) 23... Rgf8 the position is about equal. 22.Rd1
Simply 22.O-O was strong, securing his king when the protected passed d-pawn affords White excellent long term prospects. The text sets a trap. 22...Kd7
Not falling for 22...Qxa2? 23.d7+ Kb8 24.Qd6+ Ka8 25.Qxf8! winning, but now Black's king is potentially vulnerable if White can get his pieces organised. 22... Rd7! was a better blockade of the d-pawn, when the rook can later move to either wing as required. 23.Qe4 Qb6 24.Rd2 Rf5
Keeping the white knight from g5, but exchanging off the active White queen 24...Qc6 25.Qxc6+ Kxc6 was already Black's best option. 25.h3! Nh6
Forced, as 25...Ne3? 26.g4! Rff8 27.Ng5 and the white knight will wreck havoc while Black's is immobile. 26.Kd1 Qc6 27.Re1 Rc8 28.Kc1 Qa6?!
Black is tempted into an attacking gesture. The ending after 28... Qxe4 29.Rxe4 Nf7 30.Nh4! Rxe5 31.Rxf4 Nxd6 32.Rf7+ Kc6 33.Rxh7 is only a little better for White. 29.Kb1 b5?
Essential was 29... Nf7. Black's unwarranted aggression immediately rebounds as his own king is the more exposed. 30.g4! fxg3
Worse is letting the knight get to g5 30... Rff8 31.Ng5 Qc6 (31... Rh8? 32.Nxe6! with mating attack) 32.Nxh7 Qxe4 33.Rxe4 Rh8 34.Nf6+ with a winning endgame. 31.Qh4! Ng8
No better is 31...Nf7 32.Qe7+ Kc6 33.d7 Rd8 34.Qxe6+ Kb7 35.Qxa6+ Kxa6 36.e6! Rxf3 37.e7! and White gets a new queen. 32.Qxh7+ Kc6 33.d7Resigns
After 33... Rd8 34.Rd6+ skewers king and queen.
Otago Club Championship decided
Problem: Black to play and mate in 6.
The Otago Chess Club Championship for 2015 was decided this month with the completion of the second and final leg. Defending champion John Sutherland's victory over the writer in the final round wasn't enough to stop the latter taking the overall (Senior) championship with an aggregate total of 9/10 over the two legs. Sutherland finished second on 7½, while third went to Leighton Nicholls on 6 points. Brent Southgate just secured the Intermediate Championship on an aggregate score of 7⅛ ahead of David Reid on 7 points. new member Hildon Nisa's aggregate total of 9⅜ earned him the Junior Championship trophy.
Today's game is the eighth win that assured the Senior Championship title. Hamish Gold is playing with the black pieces against the writer.
1.d4 f5
2.Bg5 Nf6
3.e3!? Ne4!?
After only three moves the game has left opening theory from the Dutch 2.Bg5, where White normally captures the knight. The position resembles a Trompowsky Attack with the extra moves e2-e3 and f7-f5. The players being on their own from this point leads to some inaccuracies.
4.Bf4 c5
5.d5?!
As the d-pawn is already supported, challenging the advanced knight by 5.Nd2 was better.
5...Qa5+?!
Similarly 5... Qb6! attacking b2 takes advantage of the pawn on e3 blocking the bishop's return to c1 compared to the analogous position in the Trompowsky.
6.c3 g6
7.Be5 Rg8
8.f3 d6
9.fxe4 dxe5
10.Nd2 fxe4
11.Nxe4 Bh6?!
The position is very sharp and it was important to dislodge the central knight immediately 11... Bf5! 12.Ng3 (12.Qb3?! Bxe4! 13.Qxb7 Qb6 14.Qxa8 Qxb2 15.Rd1 Bh6! 16.Rd2 Qc1+ 17.Ke2 Kf7 and Black's attack is worth the exchange sacrifice) 12.... Qb6 with a defensible game.
12.Qd2?!
Missing 12.d6! opening the d-file with a strong attack on the Black king. E.g. 12... Qb6 (12... Nd7 13.Bc4 is worse) 13.Qd5 Rg7 14.dxe7 Nd7 15.Nd6+ Kxe7 16.Rd1 and Black must exchange queens 16... Qc6 17.Qxc6 bxc6 with an inferior ending.
12...Bf5
13.Bd3?! Nd7?!
Both sides missed the idea 13... c4! 14.Bc2 Nd7 when Black's pieces suddenly become very active.
14.Ng3 Bxd3
15.Qxd3 O-O-O
16.Nf3 Nf6
17.e4 Bf4?!
Expending a tempo to defend the unimportant e5 pawn when 17... e6! 18.d6 (18.O-O exd5 19.Nxe5 Rgf8 also favours Black) 18... Ng4 is effectively a move up on the game.
18.Ne2 e6
19.Nxf4 exf4
20.d6 Ng4
21.e5 Rgf8
Allowing White to castle. After 21... Ne3 22.g3 Qa4! 23.Kf2 (or 23.b3 Qc6) 23... Rgf8 the position is about equal.
22.Rd1
Simply 22.O-O was strong, securing his king when the protected passed d-pawn affords White excellent long term prospects. The text sets a trap.
22...Kd7
Not falling for 22...Qxa2? 23.d7+ Kb8 24.Qd6+ Ka8 25.Qxf8! winning, but now Black's king is potentially vulnerable if White can get his pieces organised. 22... Rd7! was a better blockade of the d-pawn, when the rook can later move to either wing as required.
23.Qe4 Qb6
24.Rd2 Rf5
Keeping the white knight from g5, but exchanging off the active White queen 24...Qc6 25.Qxc6+ Kxc6 was already Black's best option.
25.h3! Nh6
Forced, as 25...Ne3? 26.g4! Rff8 27.Ng5 and the white knight will wreck havoc while Black's is immobile.
26.Kd1 Qc6
27.Re1 Rc8
28.Kc1 Qa6?!
Black is tempted into an attacking gesture. The ending after 28... Qxe4 29.Rxe4 Nf7 30.Nh4! Rxe5 31.Rxf4 Nxd6 32.Rf7+ Kc6 33.Rxh7 is only a little better for White.
29.Kb1 b5?
Essential was 29... Nf7. Black's unwarranted aggression immediately rebounds as his own king is the more exposed.
30.g4! fxg3
Worse is letting the knight get to g5 30... Rff8 31.Ng5 Qc6 (31... Rh8? 32.Nxe6! with mating attack) 32.Nxh7 Qxe4 33.Rxe4 Rh8 34.Nf6+ with a winning endgame.
31.Qh4! Ng8
No better is 31...Nf7 32.Qe7+ Kc6 33.d7 Rd8 34.Qxe6+ Kb7 35.Qxa6+ Kxa6 36.e6! Rxf3 37.e7! and White gets a new queen.
32.Qxh7+ Kc6
33.d7 Resigns
After 33... Rd8 34.Rd6+ skewers king and queen.
1-0
Solution: 1... Qh3! 2.Bc2 (2.fxe4 Re6 3.Bd1 Rg6+ 4.Bg4 Rxg4+ 5.Kh1 Qg2#) 2... Re6! 3.Bxe4 dxe4 4.Kh1 Rg6 5.Rg1 Qf3+ 6.Rg2 Qxg2#